Hanabi
by Mochi-hime
Summary: "Fireworks are like people, aren't they? They're beautiful. But their beauty lasts for only a few seconds before they fade away into darkness."


_**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. _

_**A/N:** My first fanfic on ffnet! This one's a bit fluffy at first, but I tried to put a lot of angst near the end. For some reason, I really love the idea of Team 7 going to a festival together. Sorry if this is a bit short, but it was a little test drabble because I'm so new to this website..._

_Well, enjoy and don't forget to review!_

* * *

**_Hanabi_**

"Naruto! Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke frowned as his female teammate started running towards him and the dobe. At this rate, she was _surely_ going to trip over the hem of her yukata. Pink hair flying, she did just that.

"AH—" Sakura's arms windmilled as she started to fall face-forward onto the ground, when strong arms steadied her from both sides.

"Thanks…" The kunoichi peered up at the faces of the men on either side of her. "Me and my clumsiness, ne?"

"No problem, dattebayo! It's a relief you didn't get hurt, Sakura-chan." Naruto grinned from ear to ear as he scanned her up and down. "By the way, you look really great today!"

Sakura blushed slightly at the blonde's comment but proceeded to punch him playfully on the shoulder. "Are you saying I don't look great on other days, Naruto?!"

The duo started to bicker with each other, spouting nonsense about "attractiveness" and this and that. Sasuke, on the other hand, didn't know why he had let himself get dragged to this festival anyways. _They_ had not left him alone until he had agreed ("And promise, Sasuke-kun!") to go with them to the stupid festival.

Sasuke took this time to scrutinize the pink-haired medic carefully. She had on a red yukata embroidered with cherry blossoms, and her hair was pinned up messily, as if she had remembered to style it in the last second. He remembered their younger years when Sakura had always fussed about her hair and how it was too tangled, too messy, or too thin. _What had happened to that Sakura in the past…?_

He couldn't deny it though—Sakura _did_ look better than on most days he saw her. Maybe it was that glow of happiness she seemed to radiate, maybe it was the new sparkle in her emerald eyes. She just looked more… innocent.

"Oi, teme! Temeeee!" Naruto waved a hand in front of the Uchiha's face as Sasuke blinked and scowled at his action. "Sakura-chan wants to go watch the fireworks. Heh, brings back old memories, ttebayo!" The jinchuuriki smiled and folded his hands behind his head.

"Hn." Sasuke rolled his eyes as he thought back to all the other times Team 7 had watched the fireworks together as genin. This ritual had always been the same, with Sakura trying to be "romantic" with him, and with Naruto trying to be "alone" with Sakura. Sasuke didn't want to go through all this immaturity again. But a part of him wondered how this new, grown Sakura would react.

'_Tch. Probably hasn't changed at all._'

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and allowed himself to follow his laughing teammates as they all headed towards the fireworks.  
.

.

.

.  
The first one flew up with a shrill whistle, blooming into a large burst of shimmering light and illuminating the entire night sky with its brightness. Sakura's eyes grew wide as she stared, entranced, at the glittering brocade above her. Her lips formed a tiny smile and her full attention was caught on the colorful fireworks.

Sasuke stole a quick glance at her—she was so _captivated_ by such little things. He sighed deeply. He remembered not only his genin days when he had watched these same fireworks, but also further back in the past, when he had excitedly pointed up to them while sitting on his brother's shoulders.

'_Look, Nii-san! That one looks like a flower!_'

'_Aa. It does._'

Sasuke's lower lip quivered, but he quickly bit down and suppressed his emotions. Shinobi didn't allow themselves to be ruled by feelings. Shinobi didn't—

"Aa, Sasuke-kun! That one over there looks like a flower."

Sakura pointed a slender finger towards a pink explosion of light. She sucked in a breath when it faded away, her jade orbs dulling a bit as she gave a sad smile.

"Fireworks are like people, aren't they? They come and go." Her eyes fixated on the sky, she didn't notice the dark-eyed Uchiha staring at her intensely.

"They're beautiful. But their beauty lasts for only a few seconds before they fade away into darkness." She gave a forced little laugh, a heart-wretching sound. "That's why I don't really like fireworks. They're too short—too transient. One moment, you're captivated, and before you know it, they're gone. It's pretty sad if you think about it."

The kunoichi placed a small hand over her heart as she continued to gaze at the bright bursts of light. "But the main reason I enjoy _watching_ the fireworks is because… Well, I know that even though the fireworks may disappear in an instant, at least you and Naruto won't. At least… You guys are always by my side."

Sasuke felt his heart clench uncomfortably at these words. He _wasn't_ always by her side. He left her and Naruto for the tantalizing sweetness of revenge, and even tried to kill them numerous times. _But how could this girl…_

"Sakura." The Uchiha clenched his fist and bowed his head, dark bangs shading his face. "I wasn't."

He was never one of many words, but at this particular moment, the very sight of this pink-haired, innocent female was enough to choke him of his voice. _'Don't say such ridiculous things…'_

"No, Sasuke-kun, you _weren't_ always by my side, physically." Her fingertips trailed briefly along his arm, making him inhale sharply. "But you are now."

She turned back to the blossoms in the sky and smiled. "Ne, people who are far away aren't really… unreachable. They always stay in here—" she pointed to his heart— "and here." Placing a light finger on his forehead, her lips quivered and her large green eyes blurred with tears.

A vision of a certain Uchiha prodding him on the forehead like that filled Sasuke's mind like a flood and something—the barrier he had been building for all of these years—broke inside of him. He looked up, and for the first time, stared at Sakura with completely open, helpless eyes. His mental walls had broken and he couldn't repair them in front of _this damn, annoying girl._

So he did the next thing that he could. His body seemed to act on its own as he grabbed her wrist with one hand and pulled her against him, placing his other hand gently on the back of her head.

Sakura finally let the tears fall from her eyes. He was embracing her. _He was embracing her._ A muffled sob rose up in her chest and she gripped the back of his shirt tightly, burying her face into his chest. The two stood, oblivious to the fireworks, oblivious to the sleeping blonde by their feet.

_"Welcome home, Sasuke-kun."_

_"Sakura. Thank you."_


End file.
